Cable connector



Dec- 1, 19-70 R. HERES RUIZ 3,544,955

CABLE CONNECTOR Filed March 28. 1967 mvsrm m RAUL HERES RUIZ FIG6- BY MA ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,544,955 CABLE CONNECTOR Raul HeresRuiz, Calle Cerro Macuiltepec 89, Colonia Campestre Churubusco, MexicoCity 21, Mexico Filed Mar. 28, 1967, Ser. No. 626,590 Int. Cl. H01r 7/08US. Cl. 339-244 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The electricalconnector includes a body portion having a cable receiving channel, aslidably engaged closure portion and a screw threaded into the channelto clamp cables therein and the two portions together. The body may beprovided with a transverse passageway to accommodate cross cables.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Cable connector clamps of the general typewith which the present invention is concerned are well known, forexample, see Pat. No. 1,741,804. The prior connectors are capable ofaccommodating only aligned cables of the same size and approximately thewidth of the channel in the connector. Moreover, the in line connectorsare not capable of accommodating cross cables so that special connectorsare employed for the latter purpose.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION A connector according to the inventionincludes a body portion in the form of a U-shaped saddle havingoutstanding flanges at the free ends of its branches. A clamp screw isthreaded through the bight portion into the channel between the branchesof the saddle. A closure portion generally in the form of a C-shapedstirrup having inturned flanges, slidably spans the open side of thesaddle with the respective flanges interengaged. The diameter of theclamp screw is at least as great as the width of the channel so thatcables of diameters less than the width of the channel positively willbe clamped by the screw against the stirrup to clamp the saddle, cablesand stirrup firmly together.

The saddle may be provided with a transverse passageway through itsbranches and aligned with said clamp screw. The width of the passagewayis not greater than the screw diameter and is completely spanned by thescrew. Preferably, the passageway is formed by a channel opening throughthe open side of the saddle so that the saddle can be fitted over cablesand avoid the necessity of threading cables through the device. Theconnector may be elongated and provided with a plurality of crosschannels and a corresponding plurality of clamp screws. The number ofsuch cross channels and screws may be selected according to therequirements of the particular arrangement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of aconnector in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the open or inner side of the body portion orsaddle;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the open or inner side of the closure portionor stirrup;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG.1;

FIG. 6 is a side view in elevation of a modified connector according tothe invention, and

FIG. 7 is an end view of another modification of the connector.

3,544,955 Patented Dec. 1, 1970 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTIONReferring now to the drawing in detail, specifically to FIG. 1, aconnector in accordance with the present invention comprises a bodyportion 10 in the form of a U- shaped saddle and a closure portion 12 inthe form of a C-shaped stirrup. The saddle 10 includes a bight 14 andtwo substantially parallel branches 16 extending from said bight anddefining a cable receiving channel 18 therebetween. Flanges 20 extendoutwardly from the free edges of said branches 16. The stirrup 12includes a body 22 that preferably is curved or bowed, and inwardlyextending flanges 24 spaced from the body 22 and slidably receivingtherebetween the saddle flanges 20. A clamp screw 26 is provided toclamp one or more cables C within the channel 18.

The foregoing description is generally characteristic of clampconnectors of the present type, and in which the diameter of the clampscrew is less than the width of the channel so that the screw may bethreaded through either part of the connector into the channel. As aconsequence such connectors are limited to use with cables whosediameters approximate the width of the channel because smaller diametercables can slip between the side of the screw and the side wall of thechannel, resulting in a poor connection.

In accordance with the present invention, however, as best shown in FIG.2, the diameter of the screw 26 is at least as great as the width of thechannel 18 so that regardless of the size of cable in the channel 18 itwill be clamped by the screw. Because of the fact that the screw 26completely spans the channel 18, the screw preferably is threadedthrough an internally threaded bore 28 in the bight 14 of the saddle 10so that the threads can be extended into the inner walls of the branches16, if necessary. Preferably, the threads are very narrow and fine sothat they substantially are self locking.

Another feature of the invention resides in providing the saddle with atransverse passageway 30 to accommodate a cross cable C. While thepassageway 30 can be an opening through the branches 16, preferably itis constituted by a channel opening through the free edges of thebranches 16 and flanges 20 so that the saddle can be fitted over crossedcables rather than having to thread the cross cable C through thedevice. Preferably, the cross channel 30 is of the same dimensions asthe channel 18, and the channel 30 is transversely aligned with theclamp screw 26 so that the screw can clamp the crossed cables, oneagainst the other.

Thus, the center planes of the channels 18 and 30 intersect at the axisof the screw 26 and the latter spans both channels. As clearly shown inFIG. 2, the diameter of the screw 26 is such as to almost engage thecorners 32 of the branches 16 at the channel intersections. By thisarrangement, the screw will completely span the channels but the cuttingof threads in the branches is avoided.

Due to the thickness of the flanges 20 and 24 their combined thicknessesmay be greater than the diameter of the cable C seated against the innersurface of the stirrup 12, in which event, contact between a cross cableC and the cable C might not be as firm as desirable. To preclude such apossibility, the stirrup flanges 24 each are provided with aligned crossgrooves 34 to accommodate a cross cable C.

Whereas the connector illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 has only one screw 26 andone cross channel 30, the saddle 10 and stirrup 12 may be elongated andprovided with a plurality of corresponding clamp screws and crosschannels in any desired number. As shown in FIG. 6, a saddle 10' may beprovided with a plurality of clamp screws 26 and a correspondingplurality of cross channels 30, and the stirrup 12 may be provided witha corresponding plu- OPERATION AND USE In the operation and use of theinvention, the stirrup 12 is slidably removed from the saddle and thesaddle is placed astride the cables to be connected, the stirrup 12 isslidably replaced along the saddle 10 and the clamp screw 26 is threadedinwardly to clamp the cables, stirrup and saddle together. If the cablesare of different diameters, the saddle is positioned so that the largercable is l I toward the open side of the channel 18 and engages thestirrup. In this manner, the clamp screw will press only on the smallercable and the larger main cable is not subject to scratching or damageby the screw 26.

As shown in FIG, 4, the present connector is particularly adapted toconnect cables of difierent diameters ranging from a cable C having adiameter substantially equal to the width of the channel 18 to a cable cwhose diameter is many times less than that of the cable C. The onlylimitation is that the diameter of the cable c must not be so small thatit could fit within the cavity between the side wall of the channel 18and the transverse inner end surface of the screw 26 when it engages thesurface of the cable C. Due to the fact that the screw 26 completelyspans the channel, the cables are clamped regardless of size.

The foregoing comments apply equally to cross cables C' due to the factthat the relation of the cross-channels to the screw 26 are the same.The plural clamp connectors have the advantage of accommodating aplurality of cross wires, but with at least two clamp screws 26, the twoin-line cables Ca and Cb can be secured in end abutment as shown in FIG.6.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shownand described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof arepossible.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cable connector, including a U-shaped body portion defining asaddle and presenting a bight and spaced branches defining a cablereceiving channel therebetween,

a channel closure portion in the form of a stirrup including a body andflanges on the sides thereof slidably interengaged with said branches,and

a clamp screw threaded through said bight to project into said channeland clamp cables within said channel while securing said portionstogether,

the improvement comprising the diameter of said screw being greater thanthe width of said channel and opposed portions of said branches havingpartial threads therein receiving said screw, whereby said screw willclamp a cable regardless of the size of such cable said saddle branchesbeing provided with aligned openings defining a cross passageway alignedwith said screw and of a width substantially the same as the width ofsaid channel whereby the cross passageway is completely spanned by saidscrew.

2. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said saddle is provided witha plurality of cross channels spaced longitudinally thereof and acorresponding plurality of clamp screws.

3. A connector according to claim 1 wherein the free ends of saidbranches define inwardly opening channels and said stirrup flangesslidably engage in said last mentioned channels.

4. A connector according to claim 1 wherein the free ends of saidbranches are provided with outwardly extending flanges and said stirrupflanges are inwardly directed to nest said outwardly extending flanges.

5. A cable connector including a body portion constituted by a U-shapedsaddle including a bight having spaced branches defining a cablereceiving channel therebetween and outwardly extending flanges on thefree edges of said branches,

a channel closure portion in the form of a stirrup including a body andflanges on the sides thereof and slidably interengaged with said stirrupflanges,

a clamp screw threaded through one of said portions into said channel toclamp cables within said channel and secure said portions together,

the improvement comprising:

the diameter of said screw being at least as great as the width of saidchannel and said screw completely spanning said channel, whereby saidscrew will clamp a cable regardless of the size of such cable,

said screw being threaded through the bight of said saddle,

said saddle branches being provided with aligned openings defining across passageway aligned with said screw and completely spanned thereby,

said openings being constituted by cross chan nels opening through thefree edges of said branches and flanges thereon, said cross channelsbeing of substantially the same dimensions as said main channel betweensaid branches, the center plane of said main and cross channelsintersecting at the axis of said screw, said stirrup flanges overlyingsaid saddle flanges and being provided with aligned grooves registeringwith said cross channel.

6. A connector according to claim 5, wherein said saddle is providedwith a plurality of cross channels spaced longitudinally thereof and acorresponding plurality of clamp screws, and said stirrup flanges areprovided with a plurality of cross grooves corresponding to said crosschannels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,429,448 10/1947 Bakke 24-125(N)3,144,293 8/1964 De Smidt 339-244 1,648,887 11/1927 Armen 339-272(U)1,741,804 12/1929 Zilliox 339272(U)X 2,196,383 4/1940 Buchanan339272(U)X 2,551,636 5/1951 Ratigan 339272(U)X 2,713,672 7/1955 Allen339272(U)X 2,732,535 1/1956 Hammerly 339272(U) 3,335,399 8/1967 Rys339272(U)X 3,339,174 8/1967 Walter et al. 339272X FOREIGN PATENTS1,012,800 4/1952 France 339272(U) 932,580 7/1963 Great Britain339--272(U) 473,771 8/1952 Italy 339-272(U) MARVIN A. CHAMPION, PrimaryExaminer J. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

